Homing Instinct

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We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. — Philippians 3:20

(Photo: Harvest Ministries)Evangelist Greg Laurie delivers the message of hope in Jesus Christ during the last night of 2014 SoCal Harvest before an overflow capacity crowd of 47,000 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Aug. 17, 2014.

An old chorus begins, "This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through." That is literally true. The Bible says that when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you become a citizen of heaven because that is your real home.

That is why we find ourselves with a deep-down longing for something this earth can never deliver. And that is also why we always will be a bit out of tune with this world and all it celebrates. Have you noticed? Sometimes the world will parade its toys and its so-called pleasures before you, and you'll find yourself saying, deep down in your spirit, "That just leaves me cold. That is not what I desire. That is not what I want at all." As followers of Jesus, we've tasted much, much better things than these.

C. S. Lewis described this longing with these words: "There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else." He went on to say of heaven, "It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want."

I liken it to a homing instinct that God has placed inside some of His creatures. We all know that some animals have a mysterious ability to migrate or travel great distances to very specific locations. It's like a natural GPS system that God has placed inside them.

One of these days we'll be going home too — home to a place we've never been. Heaven is more real to me than it has ever been because of those who are already there. My son Christopher is there, as is my mom, and the father who adopted me. Friends I have known through the years are on the other side now, and so are many familiar faces from our church.

Don't get me wrong: There is much wonder, beauty, joy, and fulfillment in this life God has given us on earth. But what makes all these things even better is the sure knowledge that the best is yet to come.